Returning for it’s second year to Dun Laoghaire Ferry Terminal, Beatyard Festival offered some of the best music, food and drink available at any festival this summer. We were very excited to host the drinks side of things in The Eatyard tent alongside some of our favourite breweries and distilleries. Situated at the end of the horseshoe shaped site, The Eatyard tent also hosted some of the best music of the weekend. DJs Danny Wang, Theo Parrish and Rahaan as well as off beat acts such as Hugh Cooney, Don Conroy and a talk from the legend that is Ron ‘The Beer Weasel’ Lindenbusch (founder of Lagunitas Brewing).

Work began on Wednesday for the Brewtonic crew with a short window to build and add the bells and whistles. Thursday brought with it deliveries of over 400 kegs and countless cases of all manor of booze to sort. Friday was when it all came together, after a long 14 hour shift from the crew everything was in place to start slinging out some top quality booze to the baying mob come saturday afternoon.

Saturday rolled around and we were blessed with a dry day in terms of weather and a very wet one for the revellers inside our tent. Saturday was also our official launch of our latest seasonal beers; Solitary Flight Saison and another outing for Relax The Cacks IPA. The ever-present Sim Simma Hemp Ale made up the Brewtonic holy trinity. Solitary Flight was a nod to one of our favourite DJs who played a monster 4 hour set from 5pm in the tent: Theo Parrish. Theo released said track back in 2002 using samples from Vangelis’ soundtrack to Blade Runner….hence the spacey artwork!

We were delighted to have alongside us, some of the best brewers in the country and abroad. Rascals Brewing had 4 great beers which included a debut for their Pacific Secret, a dry hopped Saison. Kinnegar Brewing from Donegal brought an impressive 8 different beers including their Rhubarb & Ginger kettle sour, Walla Walla. White Hag made the trip across from Sligo with their Belgian pale ale, session IPA and lemon sour; The Puca. All the way from Petaluma, California, Lagunitas Brewing brought 3 cracking summer ales. Their world renowned IPA, Dogtown Pale Ale and the unpronounceable blood orange pale ale Citrusinensis.

Across the crowded tent from the beer bars, Wigwam Rum Bar brought a rum flavoured taste of the northside to Dun Laoghaire with some tasty cocktails and tasteless shirts. Staffed with some of the best characters in Dublin cocktail land, the mojitos and cuba libres got people dancing early doors with Danny Wang providing the disco soundtrack.

In the far corner, Dingle Gin flew the gin and vodka flag with their nautical themed cocktails. Their Gin has bagged numerous awards and also got the nod of approval from Theo Parrish as he loosened up at the beginning of his 4 hour set.

Sunday brought with it a slightly more relaxed vibe with Don Conroy holding court from 2pm with a live owl drawing session held on the floor of the Eatyard Tent. Ron from Lagunitas gave his pseudo-comedy/beer chat routine to some eager beer samplers soon after and led us into party mode with some of the best local DJs followed by DJ Rahaan from Chicago.

A stones throw from the entrance of the tent was some of the best food we’d seen at a festival this year. Box Burger was the busiest spot for the two days and with good cause. La La Poutine brought a slice of Canadian comfort food with their potato based dish.

Like that, the weekend came and went and we’re left to wait another year for the seaside action to come again. Thanks to everyone who came to the Eatyard tent for a sip and a bop. We’ll be back next year to up the ante yet again.